Sekinin barai

Sekinin barai 「責任払い」, or the rule of pao 「パオ」, enforces responsibility on particular a particular discard on a player. Such discards involve one that aids in the formation of an apparent yakuman. Another case applies to rinshan kaihou after a daiminkan. Under this rule, the "one responsible" is liable to making point payments, due to particular mahjong plays, such as upgrading a partial threat of yakuman into an actual yakuman. The most common example involves the yakuman, daisangen.

Sekinin barai for yakuman

If a called tile guarantees a yakuman for the caller, no matter how their hand is won later, the discarder of the called tile is considered liable and will have to pay extra for the win.

Point exchanges

Point exchanges using pao occur under these two conditions:

• If the yakuman is later won by tsumo, the entire value of the hand must be payed by the liable player, including the extra points for honba, as if ron was called against the player.
• If the yakuman is later won by ron against a non-liable player, this player must pay half the value of the yakuman, as well as the extra points for honba. The liable player must pay the other half of the yakuman.

With rules allowing multiple yakuman, sekinin barai may be invoked on some yakuman while some are scored normally. Point exchanges happen independently for each yakuman. Still, extra points for honba are payed only once. Whenever there are normally scored yakuman among the winning hand, honba payments are conducted normally.

Daisangen

Pao rule applied

If a player has two open triplets of dragon tiles, then the third open triplet of the third dragon type upgrades the hand to an apparent daisangen, whether the tile call produces tenpai or not. The discarder of the third type is liable for the yakuman.

Daisuushii

A rarer case involves daisuushii. A player has called for three open triplets of wind tiles. A open triplet of the forth guarantees the yakuman. Naturally, the player aiding the final formation of the yakuman is liable.

Suukantsu

Uncommon rules may invoke sekinin barai on the player discarding into the fourth kantsu of a suukantsu hand. This fourth kan must therefore be a daiminkan.

Sekinin barai for daiminkan

Main article: Rinshan kaihou

Daiminkan pao is an uncommon rule but is still used by a few organizations. Normally, the yaku rinshan kaihou would be scored as a regular tsumo under all circumstances. However, this modified rule may be used. If rinshan kaihou results from a daiminkan (kan called with a closed triplet), then the point exchange applies as if by "ron". In other words, the player who discarded the tile used for the open kan is liable for the whole hand, if rinshan occurs. If rinshan tsumo fails, then play continues as normally.

External links

• 責任払い

Sekinin barai in Japanese Wikipedia

• Example of daisangen pao